Uzumaki's Gift
by muishiki
Summary: Complete one shot. At the end of Naruto's life, he offers the only thing that matters to his best friend. A second chance.


I don't own any of these characters. This is a one shot for fun. I'm experiencing some tremendous writer's block on my other stories, and I'm just looking to get the creative juices flowing again.

Uzumaki's "Gift"

* * *

Naruto was tired. He panted as he rested against a boulder, supporting his weight on the walking stick he always carried. It had previously been an affectation to fool everyone into believing he was less spry than his advanced age belied. However, in the last few years it had become less of an affectation and more of a necessity.

Naruto was old - _really old._ Blonde hair had long since turned white and frail, his skin had gone wrinkly, and his prodigious strength had failed him. He looked like he felt – a broken down old man not long for this world. He was ready though. Naruto had lived a long life, longer than a ninja like him had any right to expect. It was the Kyuubi's fault, of course.

Besides freakish stamina, rapid healing, and a never ending supply of chakra, the Kyuubi's imprisonment had granted Naruto an unnaturally long life. He wasn't immortal; but he was damn near it compared to your normal ninja. But even the Kyuubi's chakra could only stave off death for so long; Naruto could feel that moment approaching rapidly, but he couldn't die yet. He had one more thing to accomplish.

He achieved his childhood dreams of becoming Hokage and ruled Konoha with compassion and humor. He'd brought Sasuke back to Konoha; dead, but back none the less. Sakura had forgiven him and even understood. Revenge against the Orochimaru was had; the snake Sannin was beaten and dead, the ground that the hidden village of Sound formerly occupied scorched and salted. The Akatsuki had been crushed, and the rekindling of the Great Shinobi Wars avoided. Naruto had become lost after that. He had no dreams or goals left by the time he had accomplished all these things, and those of his friends that had made it through the conflicts began to die of old age, even though he still felt like he was a young man.

He craned his neck and could just barely make the cave entrance several hundred yards above him. Once, he could have made the leap with no problem, but now… He sighed and wearily stumbled up the volcano's slope, loose lava cinders and gravel coming loose under his quivering legs, picking up momentum as gravity pulled the rocks down the slope to the base of the mountain, nearly nine-thousand feet below him. He was near the top now, and with a grimace he worked his way up the slope slowly, one leg at time, leaning on his staff occasionally for a rest.

Naruto found a new purpose after he had outlived his first wife. He had already become a living legend, so when he told his family about his plans, they believed he could accomplish it. He wasn't so sure he could, but he had to try. He left Konoha, and married his second wife. He outlived her, too. After fifteen marriages in fifteen different villages, he decided that he didn't want to continue to outlive any more spouses. He'd had lovers since, and he'd had more children than he could remember.

His new purpose had been to establish the Uzumaki clan in practically every hidden village of the Shinobi world. He led it carefully for a few hundred years, watching it flourish under his gently guidance. He had relinquished control of the clan to his many times over great-grandson, devoting the rest of his life to traveling the Shinobi world on his last great mission. He hadn't told anyone about that mission, and now he knew he never would.

The cave was getting closer. The air wasn't any thinner here, but Naruto was having trouble breathing. It felt like a heavy weight was on his chest, or a hand was clenched around his heart. He smirked at the thought. He remembered the time someone actually _had_ his heart in his hands. Sakura had to crack open his chest and massage his heart to resuscitate him once, because she'd been too low on chakra to heal him, and he'd been nearly split open from a sword thrust from the Orochimaru's sword. Even with his extraordinary regenerative powers, it had been touch and go for months afterwards.

In an odd twist of fate, it turned out the Uzumaki's did have a bloodline. However, it originated with Naruto. It manifested itself as a "stupidly huge" chakra pool, enhanced speed, strength, and senses. Much to his chagrin, the prankster nature of his youth seemed to be carried forward, as well. Luckily, it seemed to readily incorporate other bloodlines. But, with the right combination of genetics or an unbroken decent in lineage from the founder of the clan, (the original Naruto), certain members of the clan inherited the ability to manifest chakra "tails," much like Naruto had as a child fighting the Orochimaru and Akatsuki. They were useful, but only practical if you were a chakra powerhouse like the Uzumaki clan.

The bloodline was a respected and feared ability through out the Shinobi world, but more than their fighting prowess, the Uzumaki's were widely revered for their ability to end fights in a non-lethal manner, and make friends doing so. Naruto encouraged his heirs to breed outside of the clan to avoid the mistake of the Hyuuga's and Uchiha's – clans so interbreed that eventually caused the clan to either fall apart or destroy themselves.

One of his many projects over the centuries over the years first started as a way to ensure his rapidly growing clan could stay in touch. Every year, eligible singles from the Uzumaki clan would travel from their hidden villages around the world, gathering in Konoha for a huge clan re-union, a week long festival. It had taken on a life of its own, becoming an international festival, known as the "Foxes' Ball." There was a tournament open to the general ninja public. The only stipulation is a champion from each branch of the Uzumaki clan participated.

What started out as a small inter-clan tournament became the biggest event of the year. Tourist from around the world came to admire the different aspects of the Uzamaki Clan as they competed. Ninjas without the Uzumaki bloodline would enter, hoping to test their might. The Uzumakis were also look for prospective partners and bloodlines outside of the clan to incorporate, further strengthening the clan and ties to the outside world.

The travel opened the young foxes' eyes to the world outside their home, and had the curious effect of bringing peace between the villages. Hidden villages weren't so hidden anymore, and people weren't as keen to wipe out their neighbors when everyone had a relative in the next country.

Over time the Uzumaki clan evolved into peace makers. Their power was unrivaled. Few begrudged them the privileged position, however, as they operated within and without the normal village power structure. Much like the long dead Hyuuga clan, they had just as much authority in the villages they lived in, but in contrast worked actively for the good of all people, not just the clan.

Loyal to the home village that hosted the clan, they were also loyal to each other, and went out of their way to prevent unnecessary conflicts. Boundaries didn't matter to the Uzumaki's – not to say that it was all roses, but there hadn't been a war in over two hundred years. Shinobi history had never enjoyed such an extended period of peace.

When Naruto finally made it to the entrance of the cave, he flopped down at the entrance and took a brief nap. He wasn't sure how long he was out, but the sky had darkened considerably when he woke. He pulled a medium sized gourd from his waist and took a long pull of water, draining the remains. He pondered the gourd for a moment, remembering when Gaara had gifted it to him so long ago. Two characters had been sand blasted out of the side – love and friendship.

Nobody in Sand could remember Gaara's name. Gaara hadn't benefited from his demon the same way that Naruto had. Naruto was the last of his kind, as the Akatsuki had successfully extracted all the tailed beasts from their hosts except for Naruto's demon, the nine-tailed fox demon lord, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Naruto had buried Gaara and constructed the mausoleum that held his body in the middle of the desert near his hometown, the hidden village of Sand. He had infused it with his demonic chakra to prevent desecration, but instead it had become a sort of pilgrimage and right of passage for Suna Chunin hopefuls to visit the shrine and attempt to appease the "Spirit of the Desert" that resided there.

Naruto used his staff to pull himself to his feet. He could feel his heart race again. Grimacing, he clutched his chest. Objectively, he knew he must have suffered a heart attack. For it to still be bothering him meant his body was rapidly failing. Not long now, for sure. He staggered into the cave, away from the daylight.

The cave was really a lava tube, extending down into the heart of ancient volcano he had climbed. Naruto channeled some chakra into the end of his staff, causing a faint glow to surround him and light the way. Even pulling a little amount was painful, causing his chest to constrict a little more. The lava tube was almost perfectly round and smooth, it gently sloped down until the last pin prick of light from the opening disappeared behind him, leaving him only in the dim light of his staff.

He descended for hours, stumbling along with his staff clutched in his right hand before him, his left hand grabbing his chest, willing his body just a bit further. He still had one more thing to do before he could rest. He kept walking, until his senses told him he was below sea level, underneath the mountain.

The tube eventually began to become hotter. He kept walking past the limits of his endurance, unwilling to stop lest he be unable to continue afterwards. The lava tube came to a terminus some time later, opening into a round lava chamber deep beneath the mountain.

A small pool of lava bubbled and swirled in the center. Naruto walked as close as he could before the heat became too intense. He backed up a few paces, gingerly lowering himself to the ground with a groan.

He lay back, releasing the chakra he had been channeling into his staff, allowing his eyes to grow accustomed to dim light of the lava chamber. Focusing his attention inward, he found himself in the familiar corridors of his mind, each door long since opened and explored. He knew where he had to go. He walked quickly in the direction of the cage that held the Kyuubi.

As he walked, he watched as parts of the corridors and pipes began to break apart. He sighed. His body was collapsing. With a new sense of urgency, he quickened his pace to where the mighty nine-tailed fox was sealed inside his body.

The cage was battered, the bars weathered and nicked, gouges and teeth marks apparent from the many times the demon had tried to escape. The simple paper seal that held the cage shut was battered, torn and frayed, the ink on the paper frayed as though the paper had aged along with the rest of his body. But even still, the cage held.

Naruto walked up the cage and clanged his staff against the bars. "Yo, Kyuubi! Wake up!"

"**Fuck you." **Demonic red eyes opened a fraction, glaring at Naruto from behind the bars.

"Come on now. Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

The fox didn't say anything. His eyes narrowed a fraction as he took in the rapidly deteriorating condition of the corridors outside his cell.

"**It is time then?"**

Naruto nodded sadly. "Yeah. I'm dying."

"**That damnable seal ensures that when you die, so will I. So perishes the immortal nine-tailed fox, king of the demons." **The fox snorted.

Naruto sighed. "I'm real sorry about that."

"**Why should you care?"**

"Like I said, you're my friend. You're the only one who's been with me from the day I was born."

"**It's not like I had a choice."**

"Well you did, but, still..." Naruto walked into the cage, coming face to face with the demon. It rested its gigantic head on its paws, watching as the old man shuffled into his cage.

Naruto extended his hand up and placed it against the nose of the fox demon. He bowed his head, taking a deep shuddering breath. The Kyubi brought one of its tails around its body, awkwardly hugging Naruto close briefly before letting him go.

Naruto exhaled. Maybe he was envisioning it, but the fox's eyes looked a little bleary. With a familiar twinkle there that had caused so many women to fall in love with him and enemies to turn to friends, Naruto planted a kiss on the Kyuubi's nose and stepped back.

The Kyuubi snorted. **"Sentimental old fool."**

"Before I say goodbye," Naruto said with a grin, "I want to pay you back for all the favors you've done for me over the past millennium. In return, I only ask one favor from you."

The demon narrowed its eyes. **"What do you want?"**

Naruto turned around and walked out of the cage. He reached up, placing his hand on the seal. "I've brought you here for a reason. Do you recognize the place?"

The fox inhaled deeply, taking in the smells that came from outside Naruto's body.

"**Yes. It is the chamber where I was first entered this realm, stepping through the portal born of fire and blood. Did you bring me here to rub in my mortality?" **

"No. I brought you here because… well…" Naruto hesitated. "I'm going to set you free."

The demon's eyes snapped open. **"All the work done by that bastard of a Hokage, your father, will be unmade."**

"Yeah, I know."

**"Know that the first village I will destroy in my rampage will be Konoha. I will hunt down you precious clan and destroy them. None shall be spared for the torment I have had to endure."**

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I realize you'll want to get your jollies in by destroying a few villages. I don't care anymore – I won't be here to see it. I only have one favor to ask, though."

"**There is no reason I should grant a favor."**

"You will, or I'll just sit here with my hand on this seal until my body dies completely." Naruto's grin was punctuated by the sound of pipes falling to the earth as the breakdown of his bodily systems accelerated. "Besides, I think you'll like it, anyway."

"**What is it, then?"**

"When I remove this seal, it will kill me. My soul will I will have a few seconds of time before it leaves my body. Can you make sure you eat me?"

"**Why?" **The fox narrowed his eyes suspiciously, trying to discern Naruto's motive.

Naruto shrugged. "I just want to be the first one punished for my stupidity." He placed his hand on the seal again. "Will you give me your word that you'll eat me?"

"**You should know that a demon's word is worthless."**

"It would make me feel better if you did."

"**Fine. When you remove the seal, I shall snap your pathetic essence into my jaws and chew the pieces into a fine paste, devouring your soul. I will relish the pain I cause you." **

"That's the spirit!" Naruto reached up, grasping the seal firmly. "Kyuubi?"

"**What?"**

"Thanks - For everything. Even though you're a mangy flea-bitten demon, you're one of my precious people, er… demon, anyway. I love ya, you lug, and I'm going to miss you."

The fox didn't reply. It just twitched its tails furiously behind it.

With that, Naruto pulled the seal free, sticking it to his chest as he stepped back. The cage swung open. The last thing his spirit saw was the Kyubi's jaws closing around his frame. The beast hadn't been lying – he really did enjoy chewing Naruto into a fine paste.

* * *

Released from the seal, the Kyuubi's chakra burst from Naruto's stomach, completely obliterating his remains and filling the lava chamber with dense red demonic chakra. Not having a corporeal form, the Kyuubi used the lava to mold a physical container for his newly released spirit.

For the first time since being sealed, the Kyuubi was able to stretch. It was a simple thing, but simple things are the greatest pleasures of life. He thrust one tail deep into the earth until it bathed in the liquid hot magma below the earth's crust. Another tail was sent through the top of the mountain, clearing the path he would take to the surface. The volcano rumbled as pressure built beneath the Kyuubi's tail, the lava anxious to take the newly created pathway to the surface.

When the demon pulled both tails free, the eruption that followed shot him free from the mountain and into the atmosphere, nearly fifty miles above the ground. The mountain exploded spectacularly beneath him, smoke, lava, and ashes billowing forth as the forces of nature were unleashed on the surrounding country side.

With a flick of one of his tails, he went rocketing to the ground, landing hard enough to cause a massive earthquake that leveled what little forest hadn't been already destroyed by the eruption. With a feral grin on his face, he sniffed the air and took of in a blinding run in the direction of Konoha. His bloodlust bubbled just below the surface, demanding satiation.

He poured on the speed, reveling in the feeling of having a corporeal form again. He ran faster than even the strongest ninja could hope to even see, leaping miles at a bound. He didn't stop to go around obstacles – if a mountain was in his way he simply leapt over it or ran through it, barely noticing the impacts as he concentrated on his goal.

He reached the outskirts of Konoha a few hours later, having crossed an entire continent. The hidden village couldn't be called a village anymore – it was a city, a sprawling mass that encircled the remains of the Hokage Mountain. The village had run out of space for carvings by the seventeenth Hokage. The Kyuubi hadn't been back to Konoha for a long time, as Naruto had never returned to the village after handing over control of the clan.

What he saw surprised him. Where the face of the last Hokage should have been carved instead was a likeness of the Kyuubi sitting on his haunches, his nine tails curling around the base of the mountain, two tails curled around his front paws. Rather than the bloodthirsty demon, the fox looked majestic and imposing, a guardian of the village from some unforeseen danger.

The Kyuubi paused, his bloodlust evaporating. Below him, the citizens of Konoha were coming out into the streets, peering up curiously at the giant fox standing over their village. His nose twitched, assaulted by the smell of… admiration. Reverence. Respect. Missing was the overwhelming sense of fear that the Kyuubi expected and needed to fuel his bloodlust.

His ears could make out the excited whisperings of "Kyuubi-sama!" from the crowd below. The village's ANBU arrived and took up positions favorable for attacking but made no further motions. The bolder children ran up to the fox's giant paws and began to play between them, running around and hiding underneath his nails. A large delegation of ninjas was making its way towards the fox from the Hokage's tower. The Kyuubi could tell from the levels of chakra emanating from the delegation that they were on high alert, but the ninjas completely lacked killing intent.

The Kyuubi took a step back, putting distance himself and the villagers. This wouldn't do at all. It was time to put the fear of the Kyuubi into them. The Kyuubi fanned his tails out behind them, sending charging them with chakra. One tail raced forward, flashing overhead of the assembled villagers and released the stored demonic charka into the air. Lighting exploded overhead, flashing through the air in all directions. The sky darkened as storm clouds suddenly formed, covering the sun and casting the village into shadow.

The Kyuubi growled and allowed his chakra to exude from his body, making him glow an eerie red under the rapidly dimming light.

The villagers clapped in appreciation.

Snarling, the Kyuubi sent another tail flashing forward over the assembled villagers, releasing the stored charge. The result was unexpected. Instead of unleashing death and destruction, the chakra explosion resulted in… fireworks.

Ohhs and ahhs resounded from the crowd below.

The Kyuubi's snarled with hate. His next move was cut short as he thought he heard a snicker. He lashed out with his tail again, intending to cause a massive earthquake. The ground shook violently, but instead of leveling every building in the village, the Hokage monument was pushed skyward, several hundred meters, revealing fresh new granite for the village to utilize.

This time, the snicker wasn't hidden in the cries of joy, praise and thanks that drifted towards the fox from the crowd. The Kyuubi's attention was focused inward. His mind raced along his chakra channels, scanning his body. When he reached his hara, he was shocked to discover a cage encircling the central chakra conduit to his tail. The cage wasn't empty, however. A twelve-year old Uzumaki Naruto waved back at him eagerly.

The Kyuubi growled and stepped closer, examining the structure.

"Oh Hi!" Naruto bounced around the cage, waving at the nine-tailed fox that towered over him.

"**What," **roared the fox, **"have you done to me?"**

Naruto pointing at a paper seal that dangled from the sealing. The fox looked closer and gnashed his teeth when he realized it was the same seal that kept him imprisoned in the cage within his former host.

Naruto shrugged and grinned maniacally. "I'm on my last great mission!"

"**To do what?"**

"Think of me as your parole officer. You might be out of prison, but you're gonna have to be on your best behavior until I'm satisfied you've reformed."

"**Why?" **

"I'm gonna teach you to play nice, no matter how long it takes."

"**I should just crush you now."** Naruto could feel the anger and hatred rolling of the Kyuubi in palpable waves.

He wasn't fazed. Technically, he was dead already. The Kyuubi couldn't really hurt him now. "Look, I gave you a choice. You could be dead, or alive with a small handicap. I can make either happen." To demonstrate, Naruto reached down into the Kyuubi's chakra conduit and squeezed.

The Kyuubi's eyes widened in shock as weakness overtook his body. That little insect was cutting of the flow of chakra to his tails! Naruto released his grip and the weakness left him. The Kyuubi narrowed his eyes. This was more serious than he had originally though. If Naruto cut of the flow of chakra completely, the Kyuubi would be as completely moral. Given the demonic nature of his body, it would rapidly consume itself as it looked for a replacement energy source for his chakra. He would die a painful but mercifully rapid death.

The little shit had him by the balls. Figuratively, and literally.

"**How did you do this?"**

"I couldn't just let that seal go to waste." Naruto tore open his jacket and revealed a tattoo on his chest that matched the old seal on the Kyuubi's cage. "When you ate me, my spirit was able to absorb the power of the old seal. You did me the favor of ensuring that I was adequately distributed throughout your body, and the Shinigami did the rest."

Naruto laughed.

"I can't believe it worked, but it did. Someone up there likes us. Or me, at least. At any rate, I'm sealed inside your body. This cage is just for show. Your chakra system is my cage, and you can't destroy me without destroying yourself. What's more, you can't use your chakra in a way I find objectionable. Like I said, you're gonna have to learn to play nice."

Naruto sat on the Kyuubi's chakra coils and slowly was absorbed into them. The cage dissipated, leaving the Kyuubi staring sourly at the place where Naruto had previously been.

"**I really fucking hate you, insect."**

Naruto materialized next the Kyuubi and scratched behind the fox's right ear. "I missed you too, furball."

The Kyuubi's right foot reflexively began to bang against the ground in response.

"**How many times have I told you not to do that? It's embarrassing." **

"You like it."

"**Shut up." **The fox was quiet.

Naruto climbed onto the Kyuubi's head and settled in. "So, since i'm your new conscious, I'm not gonna let you kill anyone who doesn't deserve it. But I have no problem with you doing what foxes do best."

"**Have kits?"**

"Well, that too. I was thinking more along the lines of mischief."

The Kyuubi smiled. **"What kind of mischief?" **

"That's up to you. I'm just along for the ride." Naruto patted his head vanished back into the fox's chakra coils.

The Kyuubi returned to the real world. He grinned as he looked at all the villagers staring up at him in admiration. He started thinking of all the fun he could have. Maybe… Maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

END.


End file.
